Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-03-11
Tn. Democracy In POWER.

The Democracy I'm Power.
The Fiftieth Congress will be DEM
ocrstic in both houses. For the first
time since 1862 the Senate will be
Democratic, or nearly SO. The doubt
ful quantity in that body is Riddle
berger, of Virginia. Under the di-
+ ection of Malone, he has given
cold support to the Republicans; but
n ahone having been retired, it is be-
lioyed he will hereafter act with'the
Democrats, to whom his political
predilections naturally lean. Should
he do SO, the Senate would sand 80
Democrats to 81 Republicans. The
changes made by the State Legisla-
tu res since the last general elections
have been in California, Indiana, Vir-
ri MIA and New Jersey, four Demo-
Gratis taking the seats Of four Repub-
licans. There is talk of contest in
the case of Judge Turpie, OF Indiana,
and Edmunds has given an opinion
in which he assumes that the Cali
LORNA Legislature is an unconstitu-
ii onal body because the odd-distrlct
Senators of 1884 we're not permitted
TO take their seats in 1887. Ii the
drowning Republicans in the Senate
catch at this straw, they will never
theless drown. The Supreme Court
Of this State settled the question two
years ago, and that is the end of it.
Hesrst's election cannot be disturbed
by any far-fetched, hair-splitting
special pleading OF Mr.. Edmunds; and
there is nothing in the Indiana case
to seriously jeopardize the seat OF
Judge Turpie. We therefore feel secure
against any move that may be made
by the Republicans to turn our ma
iority of one into a minority. Their
only hope will be in successfully
working upon Riddleberger, and
through him securing a tie. The
House is Democratic emphatically.
According to the figures Of General
CLARK, the Clerk OF that body, the
m embership of the Fiftieth Congress
will be divided as follows: Demo-
Gratis, 1853; Republicans, 1852; lnde-
pendents, 4. A vacancy exists from
Rhode Island, which will be filled by
= Republican, increasing the strength
of that party to 1913. Three of the
Independents will act with the DEM
Dcrats on national questions. This
gives the Democracy good working
majority in the House. But when it
comes to States, the case may be
different. A failure to elect Presi- |
dent by the Electoral College in 1883,
would throw the election into the
House, where the choice would be
made by a majority of the States,
each State having but one vote.
Thus it would require twenty votes
to elect by States. AS California Is
1t present represented, prima tacie,
in the Fiftieth Congress, its vote
would be cast for the Republican
candidate. But two OF the six seats
are 10 be contested, and at least one
of these will hardly be retained by
the gentleman who holds the certi-
ficate when the testimony now
being taken is presented to
the House. 1t is very proba-
BILE too that the other con-
best will be successful, for Mr.. Sulli-
van has shown facts that would war
rant any body in decidingin hisfavor.
With the changes which these con-
tests will probably effect, California
will cast her vote for Democratic
President if the election should be
Thrown into the House. And this
event is not very unlikely to happen.
III the Labor party should happen to
carry a single State; or if the Prohi-
bition party should succeed in carry
ing Nebraska, the electoral vote is
running SO close between the two
great parties that the House would
be called upon to decide the issue by
States. However that may be, the
fact il before us that with the Fiftieth
Congress the Democratic party will
return to full power for the first time
in quarter of century. The policy
u the party has been baked by the
Senate up to the pre- cent
lime. But with the commencement
Of the next Congress, the Executive
and both Honses of Congress- acting
together, the administration can
carry out the great reforms |
it has inaugurated, and which it was
found impossible to do as long as a
Senate was bent upon
defeating measures that would re-
Hound to the credit of the Democratic
party. The restoration of all the for
|eitsd railroad lands to the public
the prohibition Of the sale
u public lands to aliens; the restora-
ion of the millions of acres Of ribbon
'enced lands to the public domain
he revision Of the tariff in the inter- {
" Of protection to young but promis-
nS home Industries, and the correc-
Ion Of its Rlaring abuses the mone- I